Devices and assemblies for transporting a child are already known. An example hereof is the pram marketed under the name “Mutsy Transporter” by the applicant of the present patent application. This pram comprises a first wheel-bearing arm, an end of which is connected in bearing-mounted manner to a first wheel and another end of which is fixedly connected to a coupling housing, and comprises a second wheel-bearing arm, an end of which is connected in bearing-mounted manner to a second wheel and another end of which is coupled pivotally to the coupling housing.
The known device also comprises a connector device comprising a connector element configured for releasable coupling to a supporting device for a child such as a carrycot, a child's seat or a car seat. This connector is connected fixedly to the first arm.
The known device further comprises a push bar for pushing the device along, which push bar is coupled pivotally at an end to the coupling housing. The device is pivotable here between a collapsed position, wherein the second arm and the push bar are rotated toward the first arm for the purpose of reducing a distance between the first and second wheel and for reducing the space taken up by the device, and a folded open position corresponding to a position of use for the purpose of transporting the child.
In a pram with this configuration a relatively large amount of pressure is exerted on the coupling housing. This is because the weight of for instance a child in combination with a carrycot presses the first and second arms away from each other. The coupling housing therefore has to take a relatively heavy form and/or it is susceptible to wear.
A further drawback of the known device lies in the fact that, for the purpose of effective storing or transport of the pram, the carrycot or other supporting device for the child has to be detached from the pram. In the known device it is thus not possible, or hardly so, to effectively transport as one whole the collapsed pram in combination with the carrycot or other supporting device. This is particularly important if the pram has to be transported by car. The volume taken up in the collapsed state is of great importance in such situations.
DE 20 2005 008 211 likewise describes a collapsible pram. This pram comprises a connector for attaching a seat part, the connector being pivotally mounted on a rigid connection between a first and second wheel-bearing arm. The first and second arm can pivot toward each other here. The first arm, which carries a bearing-mounted rear wheel, is pivotally connected to a connecting sleeve. This sleeve is fixedly connected to a push bar. Another end of the sleeve is pivotally connected to the second arm, which carries a bearing-mounted front wheel. This achieves that, in contrast to the push bar, the first arm and second arm can pivot relative to the sleeve. Owing to the two-sided pivoting connection the orientation and mutual spacing between the first and second arm can be changed during collapsing. A 4-bar construction is hereby obtained consisting of the sleeve, the rigid connection and the first and second arms. This construction is collapsible due to the hinges at the corner points.
A drawback of the above stated 4-bar construction is however that a weak construction results during collapsing, whereby it may be difficult for a user to properly control the collapsing process and to readily predict the movements of the different components of the pram.
Other prams are known from FR 2 936 209 and CA 2 520 926. In these prams however, the distance between the front wheels and the rear wheels does not change during collapsing. While on the one hand the volume taken up by the pram after collapsing is hereby greater, on the other there is less of a problem, and urgency, in having to detach a seat part.